Intellectual Email Boxes

Lesson for today....Shhh.

Have you ever had something important to say and the person you are talking with said something and you didn't get another chance to say it because the conversation changed? That happened to me the other day when I was briefly chatting with someone who had asked me to mentor them. It happened more than once in the same short conversation.

Especially when you are in a conversation with someone you need to learn or benefit from, shut up and listen. It doesn't matter if it is an intellectual or monetary gain. The strategy is the same. Calculate your interjections and lead the conversation if necessary but do not dominate it or talk over them. Don't yell or be too loud in your speech. This is a conversation, not competing radio ads. For all of you "I" personalities out there this will be extremely difficult and will take some practice and self-discipline, but it will be worth it. Just think to yourself, "Shut up and let the money come".

Compare a person's brain to an email box. If too much filler or irrelevant emails are received you tend to tune them out and delete them before reading them. You may even unsubscribe from the mail list even if you are interested in the general subject. On the other hand, if emails are direct, compact and easy to gain from, you read those emails expecting value and getting it.

Don't clutter people's intellectual email boxes. Give them the good stuff they really want. They will value your content and naturally do business with you.

Stone Coat -- The Original Blown Limestone

Consumer Beware- June 11, 2012 Addison, TX-- I recently saw an innovative product in the building industry that I found intriguing.  It is an all natural, green stone product that can be "blown onto almost any surface".  I found it while looking to resurface one of the real estate projects I own. It is real stone and is a lightweight substitute for more traditional heavy quarried and cut stone.   The company is StoneCoat, and their product is called “Blown Stone”. 

I was so pleased with how the project turned out I asked for an interview with Stone Coat President, Ken Morrison. I always do my home work on companies I interview. I discovered that Stone Coat not only is the manufacturer of the product and the only domestic source in the United States for this product, (I talked to the raw lime stone supplier). This includes proprietary product formulations, intellectual property, etc.

 Interestingly enough the Stone Coat product has been used for hundreds if not a thousand years in Europe but is a fairly new product and process here in the US.  "You must have the special hydraulic limestone to make it work" Morrison said "and although there are huge limestone deposits in the United States, there are no quarries in the United States or North America that have the hydraulic limestone.   We are the only company who has this special and original formulation using the imported Limestone".   When asked about a few others claiming to be installing “Blown Stone” Morrison simply said, “Well, there are a few out there that are trying to imitate what we are doing, but I don’t know what they are installing or telling people they are installing. I can tell you that it isn’t the same hydraulic limestone that has been used and tested over time and years in Europe.  Stone Coat owns all the rights to it and is the exclusive domestic supplier of the product and importing this special limestone where it is naturally quarried overseas.”  

The question then rises, “What material are the other companies installing if they can’t even get the same raw materials?” 

When investigating the subject I found only one company claiming to have a product similiar to StoneCoat.   Besides finding pictures on thier website and promotional material of projects that StoneCoat had done that they were taking credit for, I found that other company to have a questionable and somewhat sordid history in starting similar companies, then closing them and then re-opening in another “blown stone” type of company.  I also found a similar pattern in opening and bankrupting other companies in other unrelated types of products and subsequently finding themselves riddled with lawsuits along the way. I was unable to identify the physical make-up of the product as their salesperson claimed to be currently “shooting blown limestone”.

Another source reported it to be a new product they developed within the past few months which is far different than what they were “shooting” before. I am not sure that I (nor any of my readers) would want their home to be the "guinea pig" for that one. If they are excited about the new product one would think they would be excited to tell people it is a new product instead of portraying their new product as the old product.

Similarly, I spoke with Brian Rizzo of ICE Cables in Los Angeles, CA. Rizzo has been known as an industry leader for innovative packaging and superior material developments included at no additional charge to the customer.  Rizzo comments, “When copper prices went through the roof a couple years ago we were forced to raise prices to reflect our rising raw materials pricing. Some of our competitors mysteriously didn’t raise their prices commensurate with the rising raw material price increases. It was time to investigate.”

An independent team was called in to get to the bottom of the issue. Either ICE Cables was paying too much for copper, or there had to be something physically different. When the team measured and weighed some of the competitor’s wire they found it was lighter in weight than the minimum standard allowed by industry governance. The competitors continued to advertise their wire as meeting the industry standards.

Neither Morrison nor Rizzo shared the names of their “competitors” that were not playing by the rules and held a very professional air and presence.  In the end, it is the consumer that pays the price for what they perceive to be a “good deal”. My advice to the consumers continues to be, “Do your homework”. Take a few minutes to research before making a significant purchase. You will be glad you did.     

Information about Stone Coat can be found at: http://www.stonecoat.com972-380-2700. There is no reference given herein to the identity of the competitors to the entities listed herein. 59809 Sadler 049843 Sadler  

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REI Expo- Richardson, TX

Richardson Hosts The Second Annual Real Estate Investor Expo

There is considerable buzz surrounding real estate investing across the country. There seems to be mysticism surrounding the industry to those who know little about it. Late night television programs promise massive wealth if you “call now” and order someone’s DVD set. There are reality shows, magazines, radio shows, websites, blogs and any other form of media you can think up devoted to real estate investing. You want the inside scoop, but where do you get it?  The answer is simple, from the people that do it all the time. Last weekend those people assembled in Richardson, TX.

The second annual Real Estate Investor Expo, better known to savvy real estate investors as The REI Expo was held in the Richardson Events Center, Richardson, TX for a weekend of education, networking and skill building. When asked why he chose this venue Tim Herriage, Founder of the expo said, “I wanted the show to have an intimate setting where there would be real value exchange for sponsors, vendors and attendees alike”.

It was clear Herriage accomplished that vision as the expo unfolded. Attendees had a choice of 66 classes to attend during the two-day event with some of the biggest industry names in Texas. Even with so many choices the personal feeling was well maintained. Herriage compensated for so many classes by making an audio version of each class available so that attendees could hear every message presented.

 One of the speakers I personally had the pleasure of seeing was David Montelongo. He drew a large crowd I thought to attribute to his having been on the A&E television show “Flip This House”. He however was a very talented speaker and didn’t disappoint anyone in the audience as he confidently expounded on some of his career-building tricks of the trade. Although he has a new book coming out this summer and is building an education business, he keeps his primary focus in real estate. “Without keeping my ear to the street I wouldn’t be able to share accurate information because this business changes too quickly. Anyone who tells people how to do real estate but doesn’t do it actively is out of touch,” says Montelongo.

When asked about his impressions of the expo Montelongo said, “This group was more on the experienced side. They had good flow, communication and energy. I did some good business and will be back”.  

   

The speakers were asked specifically not to turn their presentation into a sales pitch which gave a comfortable environment between speakers and attendees. Herriage had been concerned about this from day one as most functions in a similar format become a “pitch fest” as he calls it. “People attend events like this because they want to learn how to get into that industry or get better at what they do. The last thing they want to do is sit through a week end of sales pitches.” 

Model My Home President, Jana Uselton spoke on staging homes to attract buyers. She and her team wrote up thousands of dollars in orders at the expo itself and said many more investors committed to work with her. “We didn’t have to do any selling. Once they saw the hard numbers of the results sellers are getting by staging homes it became a no-brainer for them.” Uselton staged nearly 400 homes last year and freely shared her knowledge and data with attendees holding nothing back.

When asked about her experience at the expo Uselton said, “Out of all the seminars, trade shows and expos we have attended, sponsored or exhibited, this was the absolute best event we have ever done.”    

Smiles appeared on the faces of those attending a class taught by Quincy Long, CEO of Quest IRA, inc. as he taught investors how to find funds for their projects. In a press interview Tuesday Long commented modestly, “I have been very pleased with the response to the workshop I taught. There was a high level of energy there that everyone could feel.” Long continues to open new offices and contributes much of the company’s success to freely educating the public through seminars. Long gained popularity amongst attendees as he took time to answer questions one on one after he spoke.

Attending Investors spoke highly of the value they received from the speakers. Local Investor Bryan Dodson commented, “Jillian Sidoti was my favorite speaker. I could have left after that and been happy with what I spent for admission”.

One of the hottest topics for attendees was the immense networking opportunity they found at the expo. Real Estate Investor Sennora Brown invests nationwide with a tight circle of associates. She commented, “I met some strong people that I will be able to do a lot of business with for a long time”.

Everyone I interviewed, in every capacity was in agreement with Tier One Investments President Eric Pollard as he commented, “I will definitely be back next year”. 

For more information about the REI Expo please visit: http;//www.reiexpo.com

BS Bids Live

After spending years at the mercy of Live Streaming Video sites like their presence on Livestream at http://www.livestream.com/bsbidslive , BS Bids Live now has their own website to better serve their viewers. They can now be found at http://www.bsbidslive.com/ . The show host, Sam Sadler along with special guests reviews bids sent in by viewers. The bids range from plumbing bids to insurance adjuster bids.

Sam Sadler and Edward Earle created BS Bids Live after a widow living in Florida was charged nearly $75,000 for the removal of trees lying on her home due to Hurricane Wilma. The widow had said she didn't know who to turn to. This story sickened Sam and BS Bids Live was born as a free service to the public. "BS Bids Live levels the playing field", says Sadler. "If we only keep 10% of people from getting ripped off than we have done something significant".

BS Bids Live is also available on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=233466175168&v=wall

New Videos Available for Instruct3

Instruct3 CEO J. Sam Sadler has created new videos first to be hosted on Youtube and are later expected to be found on Vimeo and other video hosting sites. You can watch the videos on the following links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnYpKg6pDIs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkllgjyVoXQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Jda73wkhXs&feature=related
http://instruct3.com/

Instruct3 Signs with elleven consulting group

Dallas, TX- May 16, 2011 Instruct3 of Denton, TX has signed elleven consulting group as their marketing services provider. Instruct3 has brought a different approach to the construction world. The "Ins" of Instruct3 comes from their expertise in the insurance industry. The "struct" comes from their expertise in the construction industry. J. Sam Sadler, CEO of Instruct3 says the "S" in the middle stands for the "Spartan" that holds it all togther and makes it all possible. Instruct3 names their people "Spartans" when they have completed an extensive training and qualification program enabling them to "protect the insured more skillfully than any other in the industry", says Sadler. He continues, "Just like the Spartans of old were the dominent warriors of their time, our Spartans are the dominent warriors of ours because of our training program, and the caliber of people we work with. When they complete training they are given the title of "Spartan" and are given a ring amongst other things only they can wear."

elleven consulting group has brought strategies to the table that are unrivaled in the industry. Instruct3 is expected to use these strategies to build their company to service nearly every state in the union within the next five years.

"Most people don't really believe contractors are insurance experts. They are the only ones saying they are. There is a disconnect there. Most of our Spartans are state licensed insurance adjusters. Most contractors won't be able to compete against that, let alone their other training. There is real opportunity for a company like ours that has heavy experience in the insurance industry to flourish in the construction services industry."says Sadler.    

Having moved their operations to Denton, Texas this year, Instruct3 has made it clear their locations in the midwestern and eastern US will soon double and even triple in number within the next two years and attributes much of their growth to the new boost elleven consulting group has given them.

Instruct3 can be reached at www.instruct3.com Headquarters 2015 Fair Oaks Cir., Corinth, TX 76210 940-435-9011.

Knowing Employee Profiles Will Maximize Performance

I have been amazed at the lack of information CEOs really have on their employees. I recommend all employers begin by having their key employees, especially the management and sales teams take the DISC test. We do not conduct any sales training without testing each participant either prior to or during the training. DISC is a quadrant behavioral model based on the work of William Moulton Marston PhD to examine the behavior of individuals in their environment or within a specific situation (otherwise known as environment). It therefore focuses on the styles and preferences of such behavior.

When it comes to psychometrics, this has been proven to be one of the most effective tools a CEO can have.

Marston graduated from doctoral studies at Harvard in the newly developing field of psychology. He was also a consulting psychologist, researcher, and author or co-author of five books. His works were showcased in Emotions of Normal People in 1928.

This system of dimensions of observable behavior has become known as the universal language of behavior. Research has found that characteristics of behavior can be grouped into these four major "personality styles" and they tend to exhibit specific characteristics common to that particular style. All individuals possess all four, but what differs from one to another is the extent of each.

For most, these types are seen in shades of grey rather than black or white, and within that, there is an interplay of behaviors, otherwise known as blends. The denotation of such blends starts with the primary (or stronger) type, followed by the secondary (or lesser) type, although all contribute more than just purely the strength of that "signal".

Having understood the differences between these blends makes it possible to integrate individual team members with less troubleshooting. In a typical team, there are varying degrees of compatibility, not just toward tasks but interpersonal relationships as well. However, when they are identified, energy can be spent on refining the results.

Each of these types has its own unique value to the team, ideal environment, general characteristics, what the individual is motivated by, and value to team.

DISC is also used in an assortment of areas, including by many companies, Sales, Marketing and HR professionals, organizations, consultants, coaches and trainers...

The assessments classify four aspects of behavior by testing a person's preferences in word associations (compare with Myers-Briggs Type Indicator). DISC is an acronym for:


Dominance – relating to control, power and assertiveness

Influence – relating to social situations and communication

Steadiness (submission in Marston's time) – relating to patience, persistence, and thoughtfulness

Compliance (or caution, consciencesness) – relating to structure and organization

These four dimensions can be grouped in a grid with "D" and "I" sharing the top row and representing extroverted aspects of the personality, and "C" and "S" below representing introverted aspects. "D" and "C" then share the left column and represent task-focused aspects, and "I" and "S" share the right column and represent social aspects. In this matrix, the vertical dimension represents a factor of "Assertive" or "Passive", while the horizontal represents "Open" vs. "Guarded"
Dominance: People who score high in the intensity of the "D" styles factor are very active in dealing with problems and challenges, while low "D" scores are people who want to do more research before committing to a decision. High "D" people are described as demanding, forceful, egocentric, strong willed, driving, determined, ambitious, aggressive, and pioneering. Low D scores describe those who are conservative, low keyed, cooperative, calculating, undemanding, cautious, mild, agreeable, modest and peaceful.

Influence: People with high "I" scores influence others through talking and activity and tend to be emotional. They are described as convincing, magnetic, political, enthusiastic, persuasive, warm, demonstrative, trusting, and optimistic. Those with low "I" scores influence more by data and facts, and not with feelings. They are described as reflective, factual, calculating, skeptical, logical, suspicious, matter of fact, pessimistic, and critical.

Steadiness: People with high "S" styles scores want a steady pace, security, and do not like sudden change. High "S" individuals are calm, relaxed, patient, possessive, predictable, deliberate, stable, consistent, and tend to be unemotional and poker faced. Low "S" intensity scores are those who like change and variety. People with low "S" scores are described as restless, demonstrative, impatient, eager, or even impulsive.

Conscientious: People with high "C" styles adhere to rules, regulations, and structure. They like to do quality work and do it right the first time. High "C" people are careful, cautious, exacting, neat, systematic, diplomatic, accurate, and tactful. Those with low "C" scores challenge the rules and want independence and are described as self-willed, stubborn, opinionated, unsystematic, arbitrary, and unconcerned with details.

Once again, it is my recommendation a CEO starts by conducting the tests on the key roles and departments in the company. The tests can be taken from http://www.discprofile.com/